Step for modular staircase

ABSTRACT

The step for modular staircases comprises a portion of tread ( 2 ) associated with a support body ( 3 ) suitable for permitting the reciprocal assembly of the adjacent steps ( 1 ). The support body ( 3 ) comprises a pair of beams extending substantially vertically, suitable for being arranged facing one another in mounting position so as to define respective sides ( 40 ) of the step ( 1 ). Protruding perpendicular from the sides ( 40 ) are a respective upper bracket ( 5 ) and a respective lower bracket ( 6 ), suitable one for supporting in support said portion of tread ( 2 ) and the other for being secured to an opposite bracket ( 5 ) of an adjacent step ( 1 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a step for modular staircases, in particular intended to be used inside homes and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

The use is known of sectional staircases manufactured in a modular way using superimposable construction units. Such modular staircases have the advantage of being able to be designed in the place of production, and then mounted at the place of destination without requiring skilled personnel and specific instruments. The above construction units generally consist of a step associated with a support body which permits the reciprocal assembly of the steps and also defines the riser between one step and another. In practice, to make the staircase, the individual steps are reciprocally associated, suitably separated the one from the other, at regular intervals defined by specific spacer elements. An example of a staircase of this kind is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,164.

In the sectional staircases of the aforementioned type, the need is felt to vary the geometry of the staircase according to the actual dimensional requirement of the environment wherein the staircase itself is located, in particular by suitably regulating the riser between two successive steps.

The known solutions for making modular staircases having a geometry close to that specifically required by the place of installation often however involve the use of a relatively high number of structurally complex construction elements which are not easy to mount.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to solve the above problems by devising a step which permits making sectional staircases in a modular way through a limited number of construction elements.

In the ambit of this aim, a further object of the present invention is to provide a step for modular staircases which permits varying the riser between two successive steps in a simple and effective way.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a step for modular staircases that permits a simple and quick mounting in the place of installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a step of simple construction and functional concept, with definitely reliable operation, which is versatile to use, and which has a relatively affordable cost.

The above objects are achieved, according to the present invention, by the step for modular staircases according to the claim 1.

According to the present invention, the modular staircase is made up of steps comprising a portion of tread associated with a support body predisposed to permit assembling to an adjacent step and comprising a pair of beams extending substantially vertically during use, predisposed to be arranged facing one another in mounting position so as to define respective sides of the step.

According to the invention, from the sides an upper bracket and a lower bracket project perpendicularly, respectively extending on a horizontal plane in mounting position, predisposed the one for supporting the portion of tread of the step and the other for being secured to an opposite bracket of an adjacent step.

Advantageously, said upper bracket and said lower bracket together project towards the inside of the step.

Advantageously, said upper bracket and said lower bracket are obtained by bending from a metal sheet shaping said side.

Advantageously, said upper bracket and said lower bracket are substantially realized at the upper edge and the lower edge of said side.

Advantageously, said portion of tread is made stably integral by joining means to at least one front portion of said upper bracket.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the step comprises one or more spacer elements predisposed to be inserted between one said upper bracket and one lower bracket of the adjacent step to change the riser between the two steps themselves.

Advantageously, said spacer elements comprise shaped strips bearing a series of through holes predisposed to be crossed by joining means of the said brackets.

According to a different embodiment, said tread portion comprises at least one shaped plate inserted through a corresponding slot made in each of said sides of the support body so as to appear projecting towards the inside of the same step.

According to a different embodiment of the invention, at least one portion of said upper bracket is projecting towards the outside of the step and is arranged for the connection of supporting means of a parapet of the staircase or the like.

Preferably, said portion projecting towards the outside of the step is a central portion of the front part of said upper bracket.

Preferably, said portion projecting towards the outside of the step bears a through hole drilled for inserting an upright for supporting said staircase parapet.

According to another aspect of the invention, the step according to the present invention is predisposed to make a helical staircase.

In this case, the portion of tread has a substantially trapezoid-shaped profile and is supported on an internal support body and an external support body, arranged at the smaller and larger bases of said substantially trapezoid-shaped profile.

Advantageously, said internal and external support bodies have respective sides, each of which conforming a pair of faces angled the one with respect to the other to follow the helical profile of the staircase.

Preferably, from the sides respective upper and lower brackets extend towards the inside of the step, predisposed to support the portion of tread and to be secured to opposite upper brackets of the underlying step. Preferably, said upper brackets are split into a front part and a rear part, projecting from a corresponding face of the sides respectively.

Preferably, said front part of the upper brackets is predisposed for securing itself to the lower brackets of the adjacent step, if necessary with the interposition of spacer elements, said rear part being arranged for securing said portion of tread.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The details of the invention will appear more evident from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the step for modular staircases according to the invention, illustrated by way of example in the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a portion of modular staircase realized through the step according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a section view of the same portion of staircase according to the outline plan II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a spacer element associable with the above step;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a portion of modular staircase using a different embodiment of the step according to the present invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a section view of the same portion of staircase according to the outline plan V-V and VI-VI respectively of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a portion of modular staircase using yet another embodiment of the step according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a section view of the same portion of staircase according to the outline plan VIII-VIII of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a side view of a portion of modular staircase using yet another embodiment of the step according to the present invention;

FIGS. 10 and 11 show a section view of the same portion of staircase according to the outline plan X-X and XI-XI respectively of FIG. 9;

FIGS. 12 and 13 show respectively a plan view of a shaped plate supporting the portion of tread of the step, according to different embodiments;

FIG. 14 shows a side view of a portion of modular staircase using yet another embodiment of the step according to the present invention;

FIG. 15 shows a section view of the same portion of staircase according to the outline plan XV-XV of FIG. 14;

FIGS. 16 and 18 show respectively a side view of a portion of modular staircase using further embodiments of the step according to the present invention;

FIGS. 17 and 19 show a section view of the same portion of staircase respectively according to the outline plan XVII-XVII of FIG. 16 and outline XIX-XIX of FIG. 18;

FIGS. 20 and 21 show a perspective view of a portion of a spiral staircase realized using the step according to the invention and an enlarged part thereof.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

With particular reference to such figures, altogether by 1 has been indicated the step for the modular staircases according to the present invention. The step 1 comprises a portion of tread 2 associated with a support body 3 predisposed to permit the reciprocal assembly of adjacent steps.

The support body 3 comprises a pair of beams 4 which, in use, have a substantially vertical extension, predisposed to be arranged facing one another in mounting position so as to define respective sides 40 of the step.

A respective upper bracket 5 and a respective lower bracket 6 are projecting perpendicular from the sides 40, the one predisposed for supporting the portion of tread 2 and the other for being secured to an opposite upper bracket 5 of the underlying step, by specific joining means 7, in practice a plurality of screw members.

According to a preferred embodiment, the sides 40 are realized with a metal sheet, e.g., in steel. The upper bracket 5 and the lower bracket 6 are obtained by bending the aforementioned metal sheet, preferably at the upper edge and the lower edge of the side 40. In use, the upper bracket 5 and the lower bracket 6 are preferably projecting together towards the inside of the step.

Between the lower bracket 6 and the opposite upper bracket 5 of the underlying step, one or more spacer elements 8, predisposed to adjust the riser between the two steps, are predisposed to be inserted. In particular, such spacer elements 8 consist of shaped strips of adequate thickness bearing a series of through holes 9 predisposed to be crossed by the screw bodies 7 joining the brackets 5, 6. In practice, the spacer elements 8 are tightened, individually or in packs, between the opposite faces of the brackets 5, 6.

According to the embodiment shown in the FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the upper bracket 5 extends along the entire upper edge of the side 40. The front part of the upper brackets 5 supports the portion of tread 2. The portion of tread 2 is made stably integral with the brackets 5 by further joining means 10, in practice a plurality of screw members.

The lower bracket 6 instead extends along a limited part of the lower edge of the side, in practice its front half. The lower bracket 6 is thus able to be secured, with possible interposition of the spacer elements 8, to the rear part of the opposite upper bracket 5 of the underlying step.

The functioning of the step for modular staircases forming the subject of the invention is easy to appreciate from the above description.

To realize the modular staircase, the support bodies 3 of the adjacent steps must be reciprocally associated. In particular, the upper bracket 5 of a step is fixed, by screw means 7, to the lower bracket of the adjacent step.

Suitably, between the brackets 5, 6, one or more spacer elements 8 are inserted and tightened in packs. As is obvious, the insertion of the above spacer elements 8 determines a proportionate increase in the riser between the steps.

The portion of tread 2 of each step is then mounted to a corresponding support body 3. In particular, the portion of tread 2 is fixed by screw means 10, to the upper bracket 5.

The step according to the present invention therefore achieves the object of realizing sectional staircases in a modular way by a limited number of construction elements which permit an easy and fast mounting at the place of installation.

According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the riser between two successive steps can be changed in a simple and effective way by inserting a suitable number of spacer elements. The reduced thickness of such spacer element permits precisely modulating the change in riser, according to the actual staircase mounting requirements.

The reduced dimensions of the spacer elements do not substantially negatively affect the weight and overall dimensions of the materials needed to realize the staircase.

The step according to the present invention is susceptible to numerous changes and variations falling within the scope of the requested protection.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show a different embodiment of the support body 3 wherein the portion of tread 2 is supported on the lower bracket 6 of the sides 40. In this case, the lower bracket 6 has, usefully, a greater depth than the upper bracket 5, so as to allow inserting the screw means for fixing the portion of tread 2 without interfering with the spacer elements 8 interposed between the brackets 5, 6 themselves (see in particular FIG. 5).

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a further embodiment of the support body 3 wherein the front part of the upper brackets, supporting the portion of tread 2, for greater clarity indicated by 15, is realized at a lower height, in use, compared to the rear joining part to the adjacent step. In particular, the difference in level between the front part and the rear part of the upper bracket is substantially equal to the thickness of the portion of tread 2.

FIGS. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 show a further embodiment of the support body 3 wherein the portion of bracket, on which the portion of tread 2 is supported, is realized by shaped plates 16 inserted through specific slots 17 made in the side 40 of the support bodies 3, so as to project towards the inside of the step. In particular, in the illustrated case, the use is provided of a pair of shaped plates 16, arranged coplanar, but the use is possible of a different number of shaped plates, e.g., just one shaped plate of larger size.

Usefully, the shaped plates 16 have a head 18 predisposed to abut the outer surface of the side 3. The head 18 also delimits, at one side, a recess 19 predisposed to perform the bayonet coupling of the shaped plate 16 on one side of the slot 17 (see the FIG. 12). In practice, once the shaped plate 16 has been inserted through the slot 17 until the head 18 is fast up against the side 40, a lateral translation of the plate 16 itself is performed so as to achieve the aforementioned coupling (see in particular FIG. 11).

The FIG. 13 shows a different embodiment of the aforementioned shaped plate 16, wherein the head 18 has a shape widened from the outer side and has, from such outer side, a through hole 20 for the insertion of an upright for supporting the staircase parapet.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show a further embodiment of the support body 3 wherein the sides 40 bear drilled holes 21, suitably distanced on a same horizontal plane, for the insertion of screw bodies 22 for fixing the tread portion 2. In practice, such screw bodies 22 replace the shaped plates of the previous example of embodiment.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show a further embodiment of the support body 3 wherein the front part 15 of the upper brackets supporting the portion of tread 2 is realized at a lower height than the rear part joining to the adjacent step, as in the case of the FIGS. 7 and 8. The support body 3 differs from the previously-shown solution inasmuch as the above front part of the upper brackets has a central portion 25 projecting towards the outside of the step. Such central portion 25 projecting towards the outside of the step bears a through hole 26 for the insertion of an upright for supporting the staircase parapet or the like.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show a further embodiment of the support body 3 which differs from the previous one inasmuch as the entire front part of the upper brackets projects towards the outside of the step and its central portion is located, during use, at a lower height and has a greater extension in cross direction to the side 40. In this case as well, the central portion, still indicated by 25, has a through hole 26 for the insertion of an upright for supporting the staircase parapet or the like; while the adjacent portions 27 are predisposed to support the portion of tread 2.

It must be observed that the step forming the subject of the present invention can be usefully used to make spiral staircases and the like, as shown in the FIGS. 20 and 21. In this case, the portion of tread 2 has for example a substantially trapezoid guise, with the opposite support bodies arranged at the smaller and larger bases. In practice, the step presents an internal support body and an external support body, for greater clarity indicated by 31 and 32, having a substantially identical conformation but dimensions different in relation to the different dimensions of the portion of tread 2.

In particular, the support bodies 31, 32 have respective sides 41, 42 each of which conforming a pair of faces angled the one with respect to the other to follow the helical profile of the spiral staircase. From the sides 41, 42 upper brackets 51, 52 and lower brackets 61,62 extend respectively towards the inside of the step, predisposed to support the portion of the tread 2 and being secured to opposite upper brackets of the underlying step. More specifically, the upper brackets 51, 52 are split into a front part and a rear part, projecting respectively from a corresponding face of the sides 41, 42. The front part of the upper brackets 51, 52 is arranged to be fixed to the lower brackets 61, 62 of the adjacent step with the possible interposition of the spacer elements 8; the rear part is instead ready for fixing the portion of tread 2.

In the practical implementation of the invention, the materials employed, as well as the shape and the dimensions, may be of any kind according to requirements.

Where the technical features mentioned in each claim are followed by reference marks such reference marks have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the understanding of the claims and accordingly they do not have any limitative value as regards the purpose of each element identified by way of example by such reference marks. 

In the claims:
 1. A step for modular staircases, the step comprising: a portion of tread associated with a support body predisposed to permit reciprocal assembly of adjacent steps, said support body comprising a pair of beams extending substantially vertically in use, predisposed to be arranged facing one another in a mounting position so as to define respective sides of the step, a respective upper bracket and a respective lower bracket protruding perpendicular from said sides, one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket being predisposed for supporting said portion of tread and another one of the upper bracket and the lower bracket for being secured to an opposite bracket of an adjacent step.
 2. A step according to claim 1, wherein said upper bracket and said lower bracket together project towards inside of the same step.
 3. A step according to claim 1, wherein said upper bracket and said lower bracket are obtained by bending from a metal sheet shaping said respective side.
 4. A step according to claim 3, wherein said upper bracket and said lower bracket are substantially defined at an upper edge and a lower edge of said respective side.
 5. A step according to claim 3, wherein said portion of tread is made stably integral by joining means to at least one front portion of said upper bracket.
 6. A step according to claim 1, further comprising: one or more spacer elements predisposed to be inserted between one said upper bracket and one said lower bracket of the adjacent step to change the riser between the steps.
 7. A step according to claim 6, wherein said one or more spacer elements comprise shaped strips comprising a series of through holes predisposed to be crossed by joining means of said lower bracket and said upper bracket.
 8. A step according to claim 1, wherein said upper bracket predisposed to support said portion of tread comprises at least one shaped plate inserted through a corresponding slot made in each of said sides of said support body so as to appear projecting towards an inside of the same step.
 9. A step according to claim 1, wherein at least one portion of said upper bracket projects towards outside of said step and said upper bracket is arranged for connection of supporting means of a parapet of a staircase.
 10. A step according to claim 9, wherein said at least one portion projecting towards the outside of the step comprises a through hole for insertion of said supporting means of a parapet of a staircase.
 11. A step according to claim 1, wherein said portion of tread has a substantially trapezoid-shaped profile for manufacturing of spiral staircases, said portion of tread being supported in support on an internal support body and an external support body, arranged at smaller and larger bases of said substantially trapezoid-shaped profile.
 12. A step according to claim 11, wherein said internal support body and said external support body have respective sides each of said internal support body and said external support body shaping a pair of faces angled one with respect to another to follow a helical profile of a spiral staircase.
 13. A step according to claim 2, wherein said upper bracket and said lower bracket are obtained by bending from a metal sheet shaping said respective side.
 14. A step according to claim 4, wherein said portion of tread is made stably integral by joining means to at least one front portion of said upper bracket. 